WHO Urges US to Share Covid-19 Origins Intelligence Despite Withdrawal

The WHO has called on the US to share intelligence on Covid-19’s origins, despite Washington’s withdrawal from the organization. The pandemic has killed around 20 million people and disrupted economies and health systems. First cases appeared in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, and understanding the virus’s origins is vital to preventing future pandemics. The US, which cited the WHO’s mishandling of Covid-19 when leaving, has not provided any relevant information. WHO investigations remain inconclusive, and the US still owes about $260 million in dues for 2024 and 2025.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday renewed its call for the United States to provide any intelligence or information it may have regarding the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the fact that Washington officially withdrew from the organization. The pandemic, which has been described as one of the most severe global health crises in modern history, has claimed an estimated 20 million lives worldwide, according to data from the UN health agency. Beyond the staggering loss of life, the outbreak severely disrupted economies, overwhelmed health systems, and profoundly altered daily life for people across the globe.
The earliest known cases of Covid-19 were detected in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Scientists and public health experts have emphasized that fully understanding the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is crucial not only for historical record-keeping but also to inform policies and measures that could prevent or mitigate future pandemics. Determining whether the virus emerged naturally or as a result of a laboratory accident remains a key focus for researchers and international health bodies.
On his first day back in office in January 2025, former US President Donald Trump submitted a formal one-year notice of withdrawal from the WHO, citing what his administration described as the organization’s mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic. During his tenure, the Trump administration publicly embraced the theory that the virus might have leaked from a virology laboratory in Wuhan, a hypothesis that remains under debate within the scientific community. Despite this, the WHO noted that the United States did not provide any intelligence or documentation regarding Covid-19’s origins before formally exiting the organization.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted that several countries, including the United States, have publicly claimed to possess intelligence relating to the origins of the virus. In response to these claims, the WHO had, several months prior, sent formal requests to senior US officials urging them to share any relevant information. “We haven’t received any information,” Tedros said. He stressed that having access to such intelligence is vital, as understanding exactly how Covid-19 emerged could play a crucial role in preventing or mitigating future global pandemics. He further explained that ongoing investigations by the WHO have so far been inconclusive, with all possible origins hypotheses still under consideration, pending the arrival of further evidence.
Tedros reiterated his call for any government in possession of intelligence about the pandemic’s origins to share it with the WHO. Such cooperation, he argued, is essential for the agency to reach a scientifically robust conclusion. Supporting him, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead for epidemic and pandemic threat management, stated, “We continue to follow up with all governments that have said that they have intelligence reports, the US included. We don’t have those reports to date,” aside from information already available in the public domain.
The US withdrawal formally took effect on January 22, 2025, after the one-year notice period had elapsed. Ahead of the exit, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized the WHO, claiming that the organization had “obstructed the timely and accurate sharing of critical information that could have saved American lives” and had “tarnished and trashed everything that America has done for it.” The WHO rejected these accusations, asserting that its actions and responses during the pandemic had been consistent with its mandate and responsibilities.
Although the WHO constitution does not explicitly include a withdrawal clause, the United States had reserved the right to leave the organization when it joined in 1948, provided it gave one year’s notice and fulfilled all financial obligations for the relevant fiscal year. While the notice period has now expired, Washington has yet to pay its assessed contributions for 2024 and 2025, which collectively amount to approximately $260 million, according to official WHO records.